The artwork on the pet-lover's license plate was done by actor Pierce Brosnan. JUDIE MANCUSO, AP

Many years ago, when I began my own rescue group, I decided that the No. 1 issue on which to focus was working to ensure that all pets were spayed and neutered.

The reason is simple: If we're still euthanizing millions of unwanted pets in this country, then we're still producing too many of them – or letting them produce too many of themselves. And those animals that end up dying – alone, scared, not understanding why – deserve better.

I have a hard time understanding the need for pets to remain intact.

I've heard the argument that if we spay and neuter every dog and cat, soon we won't have any dogs or cats.

We'll never spay and neuter every dog and cat out there. Never.

Too many people in too many areas refuse to do it, and even laws aimed at enforcing alteration wouldn't stop many people from keeping their animals intact.

Too many puppy and kitten mills still exist, and we have a long, hard battle before we legislate them out of business. We also have a long, hard battle before the general public understands the problems inherent in mass-breeding facilities: poor genetics, lack of medical care, lack of comfortable surroundings, disease ...

If we did put the puppy and kitty mills out of business, plenty of people would still breed in their back yards – not puppy mills, but not necessarily the best circumstances for creating new pets.

And we'd still have a lot of good breeders left. Good breeders breed because they care about their breeds, and they want to ensure healthy, happy lives for the animals they bring into the world. They interview potential buyers, and they require that all pet animals be spayed or neutered.

All of that said, we're still unlikely – in the short run, at least – to enact legislation requiring spaying and neutering. That's unfortunate.

Sadly, we live in a world where animals are considered by many to be throw-away items, possessions that can be tossed as easily as a broken bicycle.

And toss them we, as a society, do. By the millions.

So please, tell me what's wrong with insisting that every pet animal be spayed or neutered? That puppy and kitten mills be permanently closed? That breeding be left to the few who do it well, do it correctly, who care about the animals, not the dollars that those animals might bring in?

One argument I understand is money. Spaying or neutering a pet isn't cheap. Do it right, and you'll spend $200, minimum. For many pet owners – pet lovers, I might add – that's two new pairs of school shoes for their growing kids. It can be a Sophie's choice, particularly in this economy.

That's why I signed up for a pet-lover's license plate as soon as I learned about the program.

The plates, with artwork by actor Pierce Brosnan, work like some other state plates. California issues vehicle license plates whose fees go to support the environment, arts education and programming and ocean resources, among other things. One plate's fees go to fight terrorism in the state.

Fees collected through the pet-lover's plates would be funneled to local organizations that provide free and low-cost spaying and neutering of pets.

Like all specialty-plate programs, this one needs a minimum number of preorders before the design will be produced. As of Wednesday, 5,811 preorders had been received.

The plates can be ordered with standard number-and-letter combinations or with personalized messages. Pre-existing personalized plates can be transferred, provided they contain six or fewer characters no special symbols like hearts or stars.

Standard plates are $50; personalized plates are $98. You'll be charged when you order, but if the required 7,500 preorders aren't received, your money will be refunded.

Only 1,689 more plates need to be preordered for the program to start.

The plates by themselves won't solve the pet-overpopulation issue. But they'll help, and in one of the areas most needed: by providing people who can't afford to alter their pets the ability to do so.

That, in turn, would help decrease the number of unwanted pets who die every year in our state's shelters.

And that is a most worthy goal.

More information

To learn more about the pet-lover's license plate and to order, go here.

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